Inking rollers



Dec. 20, 1955 A. J. ALESSI, JR 2,727,462

INKING ROLLERS Filed Oct. 16, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W I /2 m I c F *2 36 r 1 a c a 7 i 3 .,r I /o E 1w so/WP m",

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IN V EN TOR.

Dec. 20, 1955 A. J. ALESSI, JR

INKING ROLLERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16, 1952 United States Patent 0 INKING ROLLERS Andrew I. Alessi, Jr., Colonia, N. 1., assignor to Adolph Gomcho, Inc., Hillside, N. J., a corporation of New York Application October 16, 1952, Serial No. 315,15

8 Claims. (Cl. 101-367) The present invention relates generally to inking rollers and is particularly directed to an inking roller containing an ink supply and rotating about a vertical axis.

Inking rollers containing the ink supply, that is, fountain rollers, have been heretofore provided for applying ink to type or marking elements carried on the periphery of a marking cylinder rotating about a vertical axis in a device marking the sides of articles. However, such inking rollers are deficient in failing to provide uniform application of ink in the axial direction, and this defect is particularly marked as the supply of ink within the roller is progressively diminished.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a fountain roller of the described character which is capable of applying ink uniformly to type or marking elements carried on the periphery of a marking cylinder rotating about a vertical axis.

Another object is to provide a fountain roller of the described character constructed so that the uniform distribution of ink applied to the type is substantially unaffected by the progressive diminution of the ink supply.

Another object is to provide a fountain roller of the described character which is mounted for convenient adjustment radially with respect to the cylinder or wheel carrying the type so that the contact pressure between the fountain roller and type may be varied.

A further object is to provide a fountain roller having the foregoing characteristics and capable of containing a relatively large supply of ink without unduly increasing the outer dimensions of the roller.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fountain roller of the described character which is simple in construction and adapted for ease of assembly and maintenance.

In accordance with the invention, the above and other objects, features and advantages thereof are achieved by a providing a fountain roller which includes upper and lower end plates formed with telescoping cylindrical parts. The cylindrical part extending from the upper end plate fits within the other cylindrical part with a relatively small clearance therebetween so that a capillary attraction will exist between ink in the annular space defined between the cylindrical parts and the confronting surfaces of the latter to cause such ink to rise in said annular space. Further, the cylindrical part depending from the upper end plate defines a central ink reservoir and terminates at its lower edge above the lower end plate so that ink may flow from the reservoir under said lower edge and into the annular space between the cylindrical parts. The cylindrical part extending upwardly from the lower end plate, that is, the outer cylindrical part, is formed with radial openings in the upper portion thereof to permit the ink to flow outwardly from the capillary space, and the outer surface of the outer cylindrical part is provided with one or more helical grooves extending downwardly fromthe radial openings to distribute the ink over that outer surface. The upper and lower end plates define radial shoulders at the opposite ends of the outer cylin- 2,727,462 Patented Dec. 20, 1955 drical part, and a felt or similar porous pad is wrapped around the outer cylindrical part between such shoulders to absorb the ink from the helical groove and to apply the ink to the type or marking elements. In order to control the contact pressure between the felt pad on the fountain roller and the type or marking elements, mounting bosses extend from the opposite faces of the upper and lower end plates and rotatably receive eccentric pins which are rotatably adjustable on a suitable support for shifting the aixs of rotation of the fountain roller.

In order that a better understanding of the invention may be had, an illustrative embodiment thereof is hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a fountain roller embodying the present invention and shown in operative association with a marking cylinder or wheel which is adapted to carry type on the periphery thereof;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the fountain roller of Fig. l, but shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of an element included in the fountain roller of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of another element included on the fountain roller of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of an eccentric pin for rotatably supporting the fountain roller of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of another eccentric pin emp loyezd for rotatably supporting the fountain roller of Refen'ing to the drawings in detail, a fountain roller embodying the present invention is there illustrated and generally identified by the reference numeral 10. The roller 10 is provided for applying ink to type or other marking elements carried on the periphery of a marking cylinder or wheel 12 which rotates about a vertical axis to mark the side surfaces of successive articles fed past the marking Wheel. Accordingly, the roller 10 must rotate about an axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation of wheel 12 in order to make rolling contact with the type on the latter. However, when a fountain roller, that is, a roller containing a supply of ink, is rotated about a vertical axis, the ink applied to the type normally is unevenly distributed and there is a tendency for greater quantities of ink to be applied to the lower portions of the type. Further, in existing fountain rollers, the supply of ink to the type carried by the upper portions of marking wheel 12 is materially reduced, and even completely interrupted, when the level of ink within the roller is progressively lowered as the ink is consumed.

In accordance with the present invention, the above disadvantages of existing fountain rollers are avoided by forming the roller 10 of an upper end plate 14 and a lower end plate 16 which are respectively provided with cylindrical parts 18 and 20 extending axially therefrom. The cylindrical part 18 is formed to telescope within the cylindrical part 20, as seen in Fig. 2, and the outer diam eter of part 18 is only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of part 20 so that a thin annular space 22 is defined therebetween. The outer cylindrical part 20 has an axial length which is greater than the axial length of the inner cylindrical part 18 so that the lower end edge of the latter is spaced from the lower end plate 16 when the outer cylindrical part abuts, at its upper edge, against the upper end plate 14. Thus, the central space 24 defined by the inside surface of inner cylindrical part 18 and forming an ink reservoir communicates with the annular space 22 under the lower edge of part 18.

The upper end plate 14 is formed with an opening 26 extending therethrough and communicating with the space 24 to permit the pouring of ink into the reservoir without requiring disassembly of the parts making up the space therebetween communicating at the bottom with said reservoir and the radial dimension of said annular space being sufiiciently small to provide a capillary attraction between the ink in said annular space and the confronting surfaces of said cylindrical parts so that the ink in said annular space will rise above the level of the ink in said reservoir, an absorbent pad extending around said outer cylindrical part, and at least one opening extending radially through said outer cylindrical part so that ink may flow from said annular space through said openings for distribution to said pad.

2. An inking roller of the fountain type according to claim 1; wherein the outer surface of said outer cylindrical part is formed with an upper circumferential groove having said radial openings registering therewith, a lower circumferential groove, and a helical groove extending downwardly from said upper groove at least to said lower groove for effecting the axial and circumferential distribution of ink from said openings to said pad.

3. An inking roller of the fountain type comprising vertical, concentric inner and outer cylindrical parts defining a central ink reservoir and a narrow annular space between said parts, a lower end plate on the bottom of said outer cylindrical part, the lower end of said inner cylindrical part terminating above said lower end plate so that said central reservoir communicates with said annular space atthe bottom of the latter, said annular space having a radial dimension which is sufiiciently small to provide a capillary attraction between the ink in said annular space and the confronting surfaces of said inner and outer cylindrical parts so that the ink in said annular space will rise to a level above that of the ink in said reservoir, an absorbent pad extending around said outer cylindrical part, said outer cylindrical part having at least one opening formed in the upper portion thereof to permit ink to flow outwardly from said annular space, and the outer surface of said outer cylindrical part having groove means formed therein to eifect axial and circumferential distribution of ink emitted from said openings to said pad.

4. An inking roller of the fountain type comprising upper and lower end plates, inner and outer telescoping cylindrical parts extending vertically from said upper and lower end plates, respectively, said inner cylindrical part defining a central ink reservoir and terminating above said lower end plate, said inner and outer cylindrical parts being spaced apart slightly to define a narrow annular space therebetween which communicates with said reservoir at the bottom under the lower edge of said inner cylindrical part, said annular space having a radial dimension which is sufficiently small to provide a capillary attraction between the ink therein and the confronting surfaces of said inner and outer cylindrical parts so that the ink in said annular space will rise to a level above that of the ink in said reservoir, threaded means for retaining said inner and outer cylindrical parts in telescoped relationship, an absorbent pad extending around said outer cylindrical part between said upper and lower end plates, said outer cylindrical part having radial openings extending through the upper portion thereof so that ink may flow therethrough from said annular space, and groove means in the outer surface of said outer cylindrical part for axially and circumferentially distributing ink from said openings to said absorbent pad.

5. An inking roller of the fountain type according to claim 4; wherein said groove means includes an upper circumferential groove registering with said radial openingS, a lower circumferential groove, and a helical groove extending from said upper groove downwardly at least to said lower groove.

6. An inking roller of the fountain type according to claim 4; wherein said upper end plate is formed with an opening extending therethrough and communicating with said reservoir so that the latter is vented thereby and ink may be supplied through said opening in the upper end plate to the reservoir without disassembling said inner and outer cylindrical parts.

7. An inking roller of the fountain type comprising a double-walled cylindrical body having end plates at the opposite ends thereof to define a central ink reservoir and an annular space within said double-walled body and extending around said reservoir, said annular space communicating at one end with said reservoir and having a radial dimension which is sufliciently small to provide a capillary attraction between the ink in said space and the wall surfaces defining the latter so that ink in said annular space will rise to a level above that of the ink in said reservoir, the one of said end plates remote from said one end of the annular space having an opening extending therethrough and communicating with said reservoir to vent the latter to atmosphere and to permit the supplying of ink therethrough to said reservoir, an absorbent pad disposed around the outside of said double-walled body, and means defining communicating passages in said body for communicating the portion of said annular space remote from said one end of the latter with said absorbent pad to permit ink to flow outwardly from said space into said pad.

8. An inking roller of the fountain type according to claim 7; wherein said one end plate has an additional opening extending therethrough and communicating with said annular space for venting said annular space to atmosphere during the filling of said reservoir and thereby to reduce the resistance to the initial rise of ink in said annular space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 543,248 Jarboe July 23, 1895 573,128 Barr Dec. 15, 1896 625,861 Vail et al May 30, 1899 949,437 Munk Feb. 15, 1910 973,098 Atwood Oct. 18, 1910 1,612,936 Mitchell et al Jan. 4, 1927 1,997,612 Von Webern et a1 Apr. 16, 1935 2,537,851 Pannier Jan. 9, 1951 

